or anyone else’s—was not her strong suit. But then she spoke.
‘You could save those companies, Lex. Turn them around rather than tear them to pieces.’
‘I knew that was where you were heading with this. I knew it!’ He’d wanted an argument, he reminded himself bleakly. Just not this one. ‘It’s not that simple.’
‘I realise that. But you could save them—’
‘You give me far too much credit.’
‘—if you wanted to,’ she finished. ‘You just don’t want to.’
‘You’re right. I don’t,’ he murmured and felt his shoulder muscles bunch and tighten, and all because of a criticism he’d heard a thousand times before. He’d had enough of this flight. Of Sienna’s criticism. Of wanting Sienna in his arms with one breath and wishing her a million miles away with his next. He’d had more than enough of that.
He half rose from his seat, trying to get past her so he could go somewhere else. Somewhere Sienna’s measuring, questioning gaze wasn’t, but she didn’t shrink back in her seat to let him past like any normal person would do. Oh, no, she didn’t do that. Now that he’d pushed her to state her case, she wanted a reply. ‘This isn’t about fixing other people’s mistakes,’ he said curtly. ‘It’s about capitalising on them. Darwin’s theory of evolution fits the corporate business model to perfection. It’s survival of the fittest, the fastest, the strongest, and the smartest. Not to mention the most ruthless.’
‘Where’s your sense of social responsibility?’ she asked quietly.
‘With me and mine.’
‘Working with you these past few days has been such a revelation.’ Her green on gold gaze held him prisoner; she would not back down. ‘Just when you think you know a person…’
He smiled mirthlessly. ‘What? You didn’t think I was ruthless?’
‘Not that ruthless.’
‘Well, now you know.’ He could have brushed past her then, would have if he hadn’t made the fatal mistake of dropping his gaze to her lips, those soft, perfectly shaped lips. He leaned down, put his hands on the armrests either side of her and moved in close, until his mouth almost brushed hers. ‘Want to be mine, Sienna?’ he whispered with more than a lick of temper to his words.
She went perfectly still. As if she’d forgotten how to move, how to breathe. As if he were the predator and she the prey, thought Lex, and felt his body respond to the notion with savage satisfaction. Embracing it, savouring it, as simmering temper turned into a different kind of heat altogether. ‘Breathe,’ he whispered.
‘No.’ Her voice sounded thready, uncertain, and the beast inside him purred.
‘You’ll die if you don’t.’
She took a breath and released it raggedly before easing slowly back against the seat, her startled gaze not leaving his. ‘Breathing’s not the problem here,’ she muttered and took another shaky breath. ‘I’m on it, see? But I’d rather not be yours.’
‘No?’ Lex smiled grimly and slid his gaze down her body. At first glance, Sienna’s body language backed up her words. Her hands were ironing out the creases in her little pink skirt, smoothing the material down towards her knees as if she would have liked a couple more inches of fabric. Her knees pressed primly together, barring his way, and she’d tucked her legs tightly against the seat, demure-schoolgirl-style. Alas, there was nothing demure about her delicate pink sandals. Those shoes were all grown up.
So were other things about her.
At her throat he noticed the frantic beating of a pulse gone wild.
Outlined against her fitted white business shirt he could see the unmistakable imprint of nipples gone hard.
Sienna Raleigh, childhood nemesis and bane of his existence, was all hot and bothered. By him.
Somewhere down in the purely primal recesses of his being, Lex found the notion deeply, deeply satisfying. He pulled back to stare broodingly down at her. That tiny telltale reaction was going to cost her. It was going to cost them both. ‘Just when you think you know a person…’ he echoed softly.
Sienna was the first to look away.
‘Tell me something, Sienna. If you don’t like what I do for a living and you don’t want to share a house with me for the next month, why the hell did you come to me and ask me to train you as a PA in the first place?’
‘You could have said no,’ she said finally, still not deigning to look at him.
‘You have no idea how close I came to saying exactly that.’
‘Then you should have!’ She speared him with a lightning glance before looking away again quickly. ‘I’d have understood.’
No, he thought. You wouldn’t have. Not until I’d shown you exactly what I want from you these days. Not until now. Lex smiled tightly as the bonds of childhood friendship warred with the desires of a man well used to taking what he wanted. ‘You started this,’ he said softly.
‘You could have said no.’ Her voice was low, stricken. She knew damn well what she’d set in motion. She knew him. ‘Why didn’t you?’
‘When have I ever said no to you, Sienna?’ He had to get out of here, now, before he covered her lips with his own and smashed a lifelong friendship to smithereens. ‘When?’
Sienna watched through hot eyes as Lex strode down the aisle away from her, her mind whirling as she replayed the events of the last few minutes. How on earth had they gone from good-natured bickering to smouldering awareness to outright warfare in the space of a few heartbeats? Lex was her friend. Practically the brother she’d never had. He spent half his life needling her and the other half protecting her. That was what he did. What he’d always done. That was how their relationship worked. How dared he bring his sexuality into play and use it against her? How dared he give her The Look.
Sienna knew that look. It had brought countless perfectly sensible, rational women to their knees, desperate for more of him.
Sometimes Lex gave more. Any lover of his could expect a significant initial outlay of his time and attention. Rumour had it they could expect generous access to his money and possessions. Extremely generous access to his body. Unparalleled dedication to theirs.
For a time.
Until Lex had satisfied his curiosity, at which point he was gone, leaving hitherto sensible, rational women weeping in his wake, savagely cursing his focus, his stamina, and the sheer animal beauty of him, right before begging him to return.
Lex was a charming rake—just ask any woman he’d ever taken to his bed. Sienna knew that. Accepted it. Despised it. And for the most part ignored it—secure in the knowledge that her relationship with him was different. It always had been different.
Until now.
What was he doing messing with a perfectly good friendship that was manageable, mildly acerbic, and, above all, safe? Who in their right mind would throw away twenty years of friendship
